Do face masks really make a difference?

It seemed like the stuff of a quarantine nightmare. Two Springfield, Missouri, hair stylists at Great Clips tested positive for COVID-19, but not until they'd already given haircuts to 140 clients.  Public health officials prepared for the worst as all those who'd had appointments with the two stylists got tested.

When the results came back, officials were shocked, and relieved. None of the 140 Great Clips customers tested positive. One reason might be that all employees and patrons at Great Clips are REQUIRED to wear masks. This policy annoys some customers, who are sometimes rude to the stylists. But masks may have saved everybody from contracting the virus.

Something we can all agree on

"The paleta man was KING to us kids."

People in Chicago's southwest side are used to seeing 70-year-old Rosario Del Real pushing his yellow cart along the streets. The former carpenter now makes his living selling $2 Mexican-style ice pops, or paletas, in several flavors. On Father's Day, Cynthia Gonzalez was enjoying a cookout with her family in 83 degree heat when Del Real came by to ask if anyone wanted a paleta.

She and several other family members including Michaelangelo Mosqueda decided Del Real should not have to work on Father's Day, so they bought every paleta in his cart -- 65 of them, at a cost of $130. Del Real was so touched that he wept. Then they invited him to join their family cookout. Mosqueda felt Del Real should be able to retire, so he launched a GoFundMe page which has raised $62,000 so far. One woman wrote, "The paleta man was KING to us kids in Chicago. Miss those days." Another wrote, "It's heartbreaking that he has to work at his age. I'm glad you did this for him."

Nine-year old raises $100,000

Youthful business woman and aspiring jeweler Kamryn Johnson lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota, so she's very aware of the fight for racial justice that sparked nationwide protests. And at age 9, she's doing something about it.

She and a few of her friends have established a friendship bracelet stand called "Kamryn & Friends: Bracelets for Unity and Justice." Their expectations were modest. They hoped to raise about fifty dollars. But since May 30, the group has raised nearly $100,000 for businesses and food banks in Minneapolis, all because Kamryn wanted to take action. Her dad, former NFL player Ron Johnson, said "she and her friends are finding ways to feed the families of Minneapolis and give back to their community."

Even though she gave up all hope....

It may not be the most important cold case in Queensland, Australia's history, but the theft of a video camera from an outback town 20 years ago has finally been solved. It was stolen from Sharon Stretton's home in Mount Isa. It was a costly purchase for a 20-something mom with young kids. She reported the theft to police, since the VHS tape contained precious home videos.

The camera was recently found in an abandoned public housing complex and turned over to police, who linked it back to her 1998 police report! They returned it to Ms. Stretton, who now lives in Gympie, complete with case and cords. She's very grateful, but at this time she has no idea what to do with it, or how to safely save the videos on the tape, which is still in the camera.

Letters Against Isolation

Shreya and Saffron Patel, ages 18 and 16, live in Boston, Massachusetts. Their grandmother lives in England, and social isolation was not easy for her, but in recent telephone calls she sounded happier, after receiving notes in the mail from a few friends. "We wanted to share the joy she was feeling with other seniors," said Saffron, so in early April they started a project called "Letters Against Isolation."

Shreya reached out to a few local nursing homes, expecting that one might respond and ask for ten cards. Several homes agreed, hoping to receive 200 cards. "We can't do that on our own," Shreya said, so they reached out to others for help. A network of volunteers grew through the spring and so did their ability to connect with seniors. So far, the organization they formed has sent more than 14,000 cards in partnership with 24 care centers across the country. Today, about 1,400 volunteers are writing "Letters Against Isolation."

Storytime is now online

If your children miss gathering around for story time at school, one boy is helping to recreate the experience at home. Bryan Rumfelt, 7, of Brooklyn, New York, loves to read.

He now shares his favorite books with anyone who wants to hear a good story. His grandmother gave him the idea for his Facebook group, Bryan's Book Corner, where he posts videos of himself reading books like "Dragons Love Tacos" and "This Pigeon Needs a Bath."